THE ROBBINS HOUSE, Concord’s African American History Museum, presents
RAY SHEPARD (PHOTO CREDIT: Jocelyn Finlay)
Ray Anthony Shepard, a celebrated local author, has received multiple starred reviews for his latest work of creative non-fiction, A Long Time Coming: A Lyrical Biography of Race in America from Ona Judge to Barack Obama. He is known for crafting exceptional biographies that provide young readers with an engaging and corrective understanding of race. Now or Never! The 54th Massachusetts Infantry’s War to End Slavery was named a Carter G. Woodson Honor Book and a Must Read by the Massachusetts Center for the Book. Runaway: The Daring Escape of Ona Judge was named a Jane Addams Peace Association Honor Book and a Must Read by the Massachusetts Center for the Book. Reviewers have described his highly praised new book, A Long Time Coming, as “electrifying,” “stellar and stunning,” and “An unflinching, thoughtful, instructive, and beautiful rendering of the African American journey from slavery to freedom and beyond.” For more information, go to www.rayanthonyshepard.com.
CONCORD FESTIVAL OF AUTHORS 2023
Ray Shepard
author of
A Long Time Coming
A Lyrical Biography of Race in America from Ona Judge to Barack Obama
Saturday, October 21
11:00 AM
CFPL Goodwin Forum
Why Did Ray Anthony Shepard Write a Book About Race in This Divisive Era?
Ray Anthony Shepard discusses A Long Time Coming, his new biography-in-verse of six impactful Black Americans from different eras, including Ona Judge, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barack Obama, chronicling their diverse ways of fighting racism. Shepard uses verse to draw readers into the stories behind the facts and the sacrifices made to sustain racial progress. He considers his new book “A call to celebrate the promise of America, and the grit, resilience, and intelligence still required to reach it.”
“Meticulously researched and organized...Shepard creatively argues through captivating poetic history that racial justice is the long struggle in this country and that we are still working toward who ‘we’ is in this more perfect union. A must purchase.”
“In this substantive nonfiction history in verse, Shepherd depicts the lives of six Black Americans who ‘tilted the country’s moral arc toward liberty, freedom, and justice.’ ... Highly recommended for both personal reading and curricular study.””
“Electrifying.”
OTHER WORKS
The Robbins House is a Concord-based nonprofit organization focused on raising awareness of Concord’s African, African American, and antislavery history from the 17th through the 19th centuries. Our mission is to reveal the little known African American history of Concord and its regional and national importance. Our vision is to inspire conversation, expand understanding and contribute to a better society. Learn more at robbinshouse.org
